Inter fret ahead of Libertadores decider
RIO DE JANEIRO - Internacional are grappling with injuries and the euphoria of their first-leg win ahead of Wednesday's Libertadores Cup final return match at home to Guadalajara.
Midfielders Tinga, Sandro and Guinazu and striker Alecsandro face fitness tests later on Tuesday for the second leg at the Beira-Rio stadium in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.
"We'll analyse how they get on. They're all in condition to train, we just need to see how they respond to the workload," team doctor Carlos Henrique Poisl told a local radio station.
Of the four, only the suspended Tinga missed the first leg as Inter came from a goal down to beat the Chivas 2-1 on their synthetic pitch in Mexico.
Alecsandro posed the biggest worry to coach Celso Roth and should the striker fail his fitness test on a thigh injury he will be replaced by Rafael Sobis.
Former Brazil left-back Kleber is worried the team may be affected by the belief of the fans that Inter, winners in 2006, have only to go through the motions to be crowned South American champions for the second time.
"All this affects us, the anxiety, the euphoria. We must be able to control that and go out thinking of playing an excellent match," Kleber told reporters.
"The people on the outside, who don't go on to the field, have a right to believe we're champions (already) but we and the Chivas players know it's not like that," he said recalling Guadalajara reached the final with a 2-0 win at Universidad de Chile.
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Chivas defender Hector Reynoso said: "We can win. We're aware we didn't play well in Guadalajara. We're visitors, against a great team, but the Chivas will show another face."